The shocking thing I learned about fireworks

You think you know people. You think you’ve been around long enough that you have people figured out and then something happens that makes you realize you know nothing.

Wednesday was one of those days.

On our afternoon drive show on New Jersey 1015 Kylie Moore and I were about to talk about dogs' bad reactions to fireworks and how pet owners deal with it. It took one off-hand comment from her to completely steer the conversation in an unexpected direction.

CHECK OUT: New Jersey's fireworks schedule this July

mirror photography of fireworks display

Turns out my co-host could sum up fireworks with one word, which would be, "Meh." She finds them overrated. Said that once you see the first three bursts, you’ve seen enough. Not the first three minutes, mind you. But literally the first three fireworks.

Then producer Charlie Meyer chimed in and he completely agreed with her. He’s never had any real interest.

It got worse.

From the Judi & EJ midday show, Kyle Forcini texted us saying he, too, couldn’t care less about fireworks. Then Brendan Joseph and Jill Myra, our traffic reporters, concurred.

It was 5 to 1 against me. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

Silhouettes of people watching fireworks display

So we started taking calls on this, dropping the dog topic entirely and simply asking your opinion of fireworks, were they cool or overrated?

Sure enough, the majority of callers found them overrated and I was absolutely stunned.

How have I misunderstood human nature for this long? Why do places like Seaside Heights have weekly fireworks that draw crowds? Why do they do fireworks at the end of certain games in minor league ballparks, like the Jersey Shore BlueClaws? Their own website points out that fireworks nights are their most popular games. So how can this be?

multicolored fireworks

I’m telling you, I felt like I was taking crazy pills to quote “Zoolander."

I can understand if someone has sensory issues, like being on the spectrum. I completely understand that if someone suffers from PTSD, this can be triggering. But I never realized just how many people were so indifferent to professional fireworks displays.

Am I going to find out next that most people hate Santa Claus? That no one in Jersey likes pizza? Let's hope this was just a glitch in the Matrix and Happy Fourth of July to you!

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

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